Mission: rescue bear is a success

All is well again in the land of Jack. Bear was found by a very friendly librarian and retrieved as soon as they opened. Mom is relieved, Jack hasn't let go of Bear since he got him back, and Cash didn't even know we were in crisis.

Welcome home Bear. We missed you!

I knew this day would come

Tonight we left Jack's best friend and favorite teddy named "Bear" at the library. I didn't realize the tragedy until they had closed for the night. Jack was devastated and immediately threw out all other stuffed animals from his room before bed to really let me know, no other cozy friend would do. He would not stop frowning. He just kept saying, "I am just so sad mom."

Bear goes EVERYWHERE with Jack. This is as close to the end of the world as it gets for a three year old boy.

And while I am so sad for Jack, part of me is super sad for Bear too. Somewhere he is laying on the floor of a dark library, wondering where Jack is - and Jack is upstairs alone in his bed not quite sure why I don't bring Bear to him and make everything better.

I have always dreaded the "we lost bear" moment. I knew it would come. I am just praying that little ratty teddy is there when I call in the morning.

Everyone keep their fingers crossed.

march mix giveaway

Congratulations if you are the first to read this blog entry (and first to make a comment)! You have just won yourself the March tune-mix giveway. You should feel really proud of yourself. If you are not the first to read this - well, it is your own fault for not keeping better tabs on our blog. Maybe next month you'll try harder.

The March mix will be a little different. It is in tribute to the show we just saw this Saturday (Greg Laswell opening for Rachel Yamagata), and the entire mix is of each artist. What you say? You just mentioned 2 artist, but it is just one CD ... To add to the victory you just won: this month, it is a 2 for 1. Not only do you get a mix of one of my favorite girly artists: Rachel Yamagata, but I am throwing in a second mix of the amazing Greg Laswell.

Remember, you must be the first to make a comment in order to win...good luck to all.

ouch Jack. very ouch.

Jack has finally become aware of the power of words.
His new favorite thing to say to me when he doesn't get his way is:
"Mom, you are no longer my best friend."

Which ever of the cousins taught him that is going to get it.

i heart felt

Last night when Cashman decided to wake up at a nice 2:36am and wanted to party for the next 2 hours, I clicked on the TV and started watching the Martha Stewart show. She was doing an Easter special, but with felt. There is this huge exhibit going on in NY right now all on felt - industrial and handmade. It was so amazing! Then she had this girl on who made these great vintage Easter nest centerpieces. I might have to try my hand at being crafty again and try and make one - I just love these:

as crafty as I get

I am not really a crafty-kinda girl. Not that I think there is anything wrong with those who are - I just don't posses the talent, patience, or taste for it. But ever so often I catch something in Martha Stewart that makes me pull out the glitter and glue and go hog wild.

In this last April issue, Mama Martha had some wicked cool Easter displays with very European inspired decals and some old school botanical flower and butterflies decoupaged onto blown eggs. I did'nt really want to fully commit myself to putting that much time and money into my sudden urge to get into the holiday Easter spirit, so I took the easy way out, bought plastic pre-ribboned eggs, scanned in some butterfly stickers I already had and splurging a little on some crystal fine glitter. I felt it was a step up from the regular elementary school art project kind of glitter.

So here is the end result. Ryan didn't even notice it when he walked into the room tonight even though my craft station has been talking over the kitchen for the last several days ... so maybe it IS a little too crafty and not that cool, but I really secretly enjoyed myself. I think next year I will make some egg boxes like MS featured and gift them to people.

For now, I think I have used up all the craftiness I have in me for the rest of the year.

a hint of summer

Today could not have been any better.

The weather was stellar. I opened all the windows in the house and let the almost 70 degree wind clear out the stuffy old winter that has been keeping us indoors for so long. I washed all the sheets on all the beds, mopped the floors, and vacuumed each and every last square inch of carpet. I was on cleaning rampage.

We packed up the boys in the afternoon and headed into town for Ryan to play a show with Paul and the Madison Arm down at Slowtrain. We stopped off first at The Soup Kitchen for some dinner grubbin' and dined on some tasty tomato soap and cheesey breadsticks.

Then the boys and I window shopped all the antique stores and boutiques that line Broadway while the guys were setting up their stuff. I love how entertained Jack - and little kids in general - can keep themselves. Jack stayed at this dip in the sidewalk for a good 15-20 minutes jumping over and over it. Jack kept insisting that I let him go explore "the caves" aka the creepy alleys we would find every so often.

Once the show started, the boys lasted 2 minutes inside and then wanted to go back outside. Luckily I could hear everything still from out in front and as always, Paul and gang - it was a good show.

During the last few songs - Jack and Cash found this bike rack (which I might consider installing in my house it kept them so entertained) - and took turns going in and out of it over and over. And then Cash took his mighty first 2-3 steps unassisted! I know - it's not really walking, but he almost had it!

At the end of the night, we drove most of the way home with windows down. Oh I can't wait for summer to get here!

Oh - and major perk of the night:
I got to squeeze my new boyfriend Leo (Paul and Holly's little dreamboat). Man I love those cheeks!

it's a hard job

I'm working on packaging for my friend Ange's bakery business. Ange makes the most delicious cupcakes I have ever had! Of course all the cupcakes come in larger cake forms as well. This last weekend when Ange met with me, she brought me four of her finest... it's a hard job I have, right? Oh - and Ange... the new lemon cupcake is amazing! Keep up the good work in the world of all things frosted.

A birthday extravaganza

All apologies to Sarah, Paul and Ryan who have birthday's outside of the best month ever: MARCH.

Scott, Holly and I all dominate the birthday scene with our birthdays all one week apart from each other. Tonight we got together at Pizzeria712 in Orem. The food was amazing. The location is a little random - smack dab right in the middle of some sad bankrupt Las Vegas-looking condo development that is half way through construction and will probably never be completed - but it was great atmosphere inside and I would definitely go back.

After dinner we went back to the Wiley's for some ice cream cake, gift exchange (thanks for my cute necklace and earings Wileys and Jacobsens) and woke the kids up after all the babysitter's hard work (sorry).

Thanks for the fun night everybody. It's great to be born in March.

my new favorite thing

Dyers Ice Cream has come out with a new line of tasty goodness. It is their "Yogurt Blends" line of icecream and they are oh so yummy! My favorite so far is the Peach, although the chocolate fudge brownie is a close second, followed by the Pralines and Carmel. They are made with skim milk and are so creamy! Thank you to the ice cream gods for sending this bit of heaven my way.

I will miss you little bird

When winter is gone - I will not be sad. But the thing I WILL miss about these brutal cold months, is how I get to see this happy little bird every day because the tree is so bare. I love the dark silhouette it makes amongst all those skinny branches and the cloudy sky. Our kitchen window faces out to this tree. I open it just a crack, enough to hear the bird's happy little songs - and I will miss you little bird, when you are hidden by summer leaves.

Reason 756893 why I love my sister Jennie

This was my birthday card from the four Js (Jennie and Jeff, my sister and brother-in-law and my girly friends Jill and Jamie). Jennie finds the best cards ever. And really, what more could I have wished for, then a "soaring birthday"! Thanks Js!

dog throwup, the big 30, and all that comes inbetween

This last weekend I turned the big 3-0.

The weekend was great. We feasted on oldfashioned cake donuts with brownsugar glazed on top for breakfast. Went out to dinner, saw a movie, even got the boys to both take a nap at the same time on Sunday - thus allowing Ryan and I to take a lazy day Sunday nap as well.

Gifts were stellar, cupcakes were outstanding (My poor sister-in-law, Shelby, made 4 different batches of cupcakes! Round 1: the batter tasted bad - thinking it was the mix, she tossed it and made another. Round 2: also tasted bad, realizing it was her oil that had gone rancid. Round 3: with all new stuff again from the store, she made the cupcakes, but before they could get frosted - my other sister-in-laws dog Ace ate 12 of the chocolate cupcakes - wrappers and all! Then next hour was spent trying to make him vomit - then onto Round 4 cupcakes. They were yummy none the less - but she probably will never want to make cupcakes ever again!)

The boys spoiled me with lots of treats, including this hip Domino decor book I have been coveting for months - along with some dresses I have had my eye on, some great flats, cookbooks and such. I love birthdays!

The in-laws treated me to these beautiful tulips which I will be so sad when they are gone. Having fresh flowers in the house is the best! And Jennie and Jeff along with my girlfriends Jill and Jamie made all my dreams come true and got me the yellow table from Ikea that I so loved! I made off like a bandit!

Year 30 is already proving to be great.

sometimes it is hard to sit back

My sister-in-law Shelby invited Jack and I to tag along with her and her little man Tanner, to The Discovery Center at the Gateway today. We decided Cash would sit this one out - seeing as they charge a rip off price of $8.50 for kids 1 years and up. And since Cash doesn't do much more then drool while crawling every 5 feet only to bang his head into a wall, I thought a hands-on science and discovery center was a little out of his league.

The place was a little overwhelming at first. It's as if someone has injected all the children with RedBull, spun them in circles and then sent them running. Jack spent the first 15 minutes just hiding behind my leg and starring into the chaos while trying to figure out why everyone was screaming and why I was so eager for him to "get out there and mix it up!"

But after awhile he seemed to ease up - minus a few times some bullies took a few toys straight out of his hands, or pushed him over without a second glance - and even then he did okay.

Jack by nature, is a softy. It is the hardest thing for me to sit by and let some of those things happen. It took a lot of control to not waltz in and sucker punch a kid or two for purposefully kicking down Jack's masterpiece tower or shoving him out of the way to slide down the ramp first. What am I going to do when Jack's faced with the hard stuff. Good thing I have Ryan to be my calmer side I guess.

Either way - the joint was pretty cool and Jack had a blast, but probably would have been just as excited if I bought him the marker set at the gift shop that he was coveting before we even walked in.

and it was called yellow

I don't know what it is lately, but I am all about the yellow. I love this new table at Ikea...so great. I can't get enough of the yellow this spring though. I love the shoes, belts, bags, hair clips, tights, socks, skirts - in all yellow. I think my skin is a far too fair to wear full blown yellow, so little hits are my favorite way to sport my new best friend color. This photo I found today made me wish I had a yellow umbrella.

they'll never take our independence day!

emergency yodel button

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i am a work in progress ...

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photography, design, music ... not necessarily in that order. created by myself, my wife, my friends, and people who inspire me everyday. 

here's the deal

I recently discovered, that our friends Paul and Holly, gifted us with a stellar christmas CD of the best songs from 2008. I don't know how long it had been sitting in the car - either Paul forgot to give it to Ryan during the holidays, or Ryan forgot to mention it was given. Either way, I found it the other night while the boys and I were about town killing time while Ryan and the guys had band practice.

If you know Paul and Holly - you know they listen to great music. So most of the CD was an easy sell on me. I loved almost all of it. Even Jack has a favorite track in which he yells out, "put on the rock-n-roll" and I know he wants track 15. The CD was super hip. Paul had handwritten all the tracks and why he and the mrs had picked that particular tune for the CD, and well, it was a great gift. In past years, Ry and I have also tried to give a mix or two out to our family and friends, but this holiday proved busier then usual, so it never happened and it kind of bummed me out.

But after an afternoon with Paul and Holly's 2008 best, an idea popped in my head.

We always have a lot of you picking our brains for new music. Many of you may not like the majority of what we listen to, but that is only because you have bad taste. Just kidding (only partly) but overall the majority of our friends seem to either be musically dead, or in need of new tunes all the time. Even if you DO listen to great music, who doesn't love a good mix, right? Luckily for me, Ryan keeps a good tab on what is out, what is good, and what is new - and I reap all the benefits of his music finds.

So I have decided I am going to start something.

Each month, Ryan and I are going to make a mix and give it to someone. Since we are in March already, I think I will catch up with those I have already promised a mix to. Mindy and Gaige get mix #1 and the Courts get mix #2 - that would catch us up to March.

This is how it will work. I will post when the mix is complete. First person to leave a comment gets the mix. Anyone after that can leave a nice argument on why they should also be considered for a pity mix and I might cave and send them one as well.

And so it begins. March mix is already in the making...

another blog about food

Tonight's meal: Stellar bar-b-que chicken sandwhiches on fresh Chabata rolls with melted provolone cheese, home made Yukon Gold potatoe chips, and of course, Jack's favorite side of brocolli. Add a little old school Natalie Merchangt Tigerlilly CD playing in the background and it makes for a good night.

I love that Ryan is such a good cook. But I help too you know. I am ... well, such a good eater and really good at cleaning up the dishes afterwords. We make a good team.

Also - new discovery. Cash doesn't hate mash potatoes... he just wants to feed them to himself. Great - the independence streak has already started.